Regatta Report

8/26/2005 - 470 Worlds Silver Day 1

Our first day of racing in Silver Fleet brought lighter winds and warmer weather.

 

Race 1

 

The skies cleared early this morning and the wind built slower. Race 1 began in 6-7 knots of wind and near slack current. With a black flag start, the fleet was tentative to push the line, so when we got off clean at the committee boat end of the starting line. We had a great lane. We rolled the boats to leeward of us and continued on top of the fleet toward the left side of the course. The boats with the best pin end starts got to the left puff first, but we were in front of the rest of the fleet when the left puff came and rounded the first mark in 5^th. We held our position on the reach and started to close distance on the boats in front of us on the downwind. We passed a Japanese boat on the next upwind but then lost to a French team when we over-stood (sailed beyond unintentionally) the mark. On the final downwind, we almost had them passed, but our gybing ball pulled out and we had to sort out our flailing spinnaker. We placed 5^th in the race.

 

Race 2

 

A trapezoid outer-loop course, Race 2 began in 9 knots of wind and a building flood (downwind current). We started one third of the way up from the pin, and had excellent speed. We pulled out to an early lead. We reached the current relief on the left before the majority of the fleet and built a substantial lead. On the second upwind we made some errors with the current and lost our lead to the Spanish team. On the final downwind we passed them again to take 1^st place in the race.

 

After two silver fleet races, we are in 1^st place in the silver fleet with many teams close behind. There are three more days of racing.

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